Apparatus for plating flexible printed circuit board

ABSTRACT

A plating apparatus for plating a FPCB base board having a first conveyance region and a second conveyance region includes a shielding apparatus. The shielding apparatus includes a first shielding plate and a second shielding plate. The first shielding plate corresponds to the first conveyance region. A distance between the first shielding plate and the first conveyance region is from 5 millimeters to 20 millimeters. A width of the first shielding is equal to or larger than a width of the first conveyance region. The second shielding plate corresponds to the second conveyance region. A distance between the second shielding plate and the second conveyance region is from 5 millimeters to 20 millimeters. A width of the second shielding is equal to or larger than a width of the second conveyance region. The first and second shielding plates are made of an insulation material.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This patent application is a divisional application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/967,005 filed on Dec. 29, 2007, entitled“PLATING APPARATUS”, assigned to the same assignee, and disclosure ofwhich is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to plating apparatuses and, particularly,to an apparatus for plating flexible printed circuit boards.

2. Description of Related Art

In recent years, flexible printed circuit boards (FPCBs) are widely usedin portable electronic devices such as mobile phones, digital camerasand personal digital assistants (PDA). These electronic devices havesome parts that may move relative to a main body. In such environment,FPCB can provide an electrical connection between the main body and themovable parts due to its excellent flexibility.

Roll-to-roll process is employed for mass-producing FPCBs. In order toimplement a roll-to-roll process, a large sheet of raw material needs tobe divided into a number of tape-shaped substrates. Sizes of tape-shapedsubstrates can be predetermined according to the sizes of the desiredFPCBs. FIG. 6 shows a typical tape-shaped substrate 10. The tape-shapedsubstrate 10 includes a main region 14 for forming FPCB units 15, andtwo conveying regions 11. The main region 14 is disposed along a lengthof the tape-shaped substrate 10. Two conveying regions 11 are separatelyarranged at two sides of the main region 14. Each conveying region 11includes a number of sprocket holes 12 and a continuous copper layer 13surrounding the sprocket holes 12. The sprocket holes 12 are disposedalong the length of the conveying region 11.

In a roll-to-roll process, the sprocket holes 12 are used to mate withrollers to convey the tape-shaped substrate 10. The continuous copperlayer 13 is provided to maintain the shape of each of the sprocket holes12, to avoid deformations of the sprocket holes 12 during the conveyingprocess. Regarding the tape-shaped substrate 10, the conveying region 11is located outside of the main region 14. After the FPCB units have beenmolded, the conveying region 11 is subject to be thrown away. However,during an electro-plating process, gold/nickel will be plated on thecontinuous copper layer 13. Thus, these valuable materials (e.g.,gold/nickel) will be wasted when the conveying region 11 is thrown away.

Therefore, a plating apparatus is desired to overcome the aboveshortcomings

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present plating apparatus can be better understoodwith reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawingsare not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placedupon clearly illustrating the principles of the present apparatus.Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is an isometric, schematic view of a plating apparatus, inaccordance with a present first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the plating apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view along line of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view of a plating apparatus, inaccordance with a present second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view of a plating apparatus, inaccordance with a present third embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a flexible base, in accordance with arelated art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments will now be described in detail below and with reference tothe drawings.

FIGS. 1 to 3, show a plating apparatus 100 for electro-plating flexibleprinted circuit boards (FPCB), in accordance with a first embodiment.The plating apparatus 100 is used to electro-plate gold or othermaterials on a (FPCB) base board 200. The FPCB base board 200 to beelectro-plated has been disposed with holes, traces, and other necessaryconfigurations. In the present embodiment, the plating apparatus 100 ispreparing to make a gold finger on the flexible printed circuit board200. The FPCB base board 200 to be processed can be a single-sided boardor a double-sided board. In the present embodiment, the FPCB base board200 is a single-sided tape-shaped board, and is processed byroll-to-roll technology. The FPCB base board 200 defines two FPCB unitsalong a width thereof. In detail, the FPCB base board 200 includes afirst conveyance region 210, a second conveyance region 220, a thirdconveyance region 230 and a fourth conveyance region 240 arranged alonga width of the FPCB base board 200 in the following order. The first andfourth conveyance regions 210 and 240 are defined at peripheral portionsof the FPCB base board 200. The second and third conveyance regions 220and 230 are defined at a central portion of the FPCB base board 200. Thefirst and second conveyance regions 210 and 220 cooperate to define aregion of one FPCB unit along a width of the FPCB base board 200. Thethird and fourth conveyance regions 230 and 240 cooperate to defineanother region of one FPCB unit along a width of the FPCB base board200.

The plating apparatus 100 includes a plating bath 110 and a shieldingapparatus 120. The plating bath 110 includes a tank 111 and an anode 112disposed on an inner wall of the tank 111. Both the tank 111 and theanode 112 extend along a length of the FPCB base board 200. The anode112 can be made of graphite, soluble plating metal such as nickel, orgold, for example, or insoluble plating metal such as iridium oxide, ortitanium-platinum alloy, for example. In the illustrated embodiment asshown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the plating bath 110 includes two anodes 112arranged opposite to each other in the tank 111. The shielding apparatus120 controls/limits a thickness of the plating metal formed on thesurface of the first, second, third, and fourth conveyance regions 210,220, 230 and 240, to lower the waste of the plating materials.Therefore, the shielding apparatus 120 is made of an insulationmaterial. The purpose of the controlling/limiting function of theshielding apparatus 120 is so the shielding apparatus 120 can be locatedat a position over the surfaces of the first, second, third, and fourthconveyance regions 210, 220, 230 and 240. In addition, a distancebetween the shielding apparatus 120 and the surfaces of the first,second, third, and fourth conveyance regions 210, 220, 230 and 240 canbe controlled/limited to a desired range. Thus, in an electro-platingprocess, the plating materials deposited (i.e., plated) on the surfacesof first, second, third, and fourth conveyance regions 210, 220, 230 and240 extend from these surfaces and terminate at the shielding apparatus120. As such, the thickness of the plating material iscontrolled/limited to the desired range.

The shielding apparatus 120 includes a first shielding plate 121, asecond shielding plate 122 and a third shielding plate 123. The firstshielding plate 121 limits a thickness of the plating material formed onthe first conveyance region 210. The second shielding plate 122 limits athickness of the plating material formed on the adjacent second andthird conveyance regions 220 and 230. The third shielding plate 123limits a thickness of the plating material formed on the fourthconveyance region 240. Each of the first, second and third shieldingplates 121, 122 and 123 spatially correspond to (i.e., is disposed overand parallel to) the surface to be plated of the FPCB base board 200. Adistance between each of the three shielding plates 121, 122 and 123 andthe corresponding surface to be plated of the FPCB base board 200 isequal to each other, and is in a range from about 5 millimeters to about20 millimeters. In the present embodiment, the distance is 10millimeters. In order to avoid the plating material formed on theshielding apparatus 120, the material for making the shielding apparatus120, especially making the three shielding plates 121, 122 and 123, isinsulation material. The insulation material can be polyimide (PI),polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or polypropylene (PP). The three shieldingplates 121, 122 and 123 can be made of similar or dissimilar insulationmaterials.

The shielding apparatus 120 includes a supporting pole 124 fortransversely connecting the three shielding plates 121, 122 and 123. Thesupporting pole 124 is made of insulation material. The supporting pole124 can have a similar or dissimilar material with the above mentionedthree shielding plates 121, 122 and 123. The supporting pole 124 can beconnected with the three shielding plates 121, 122 and 123 usingmechanical manner such as bolting, adhering, or injection molding. Inthe present embodiment, the supporting pole 124, and the three shieldingplates 121, 122, 123 are machined into an integrated structure (i.e.,the shielding apparatus 120) by injection molding method.

The first shielding plate 121 is positioned spatially corresponding tothe first conveyance region 210 and is arranged parallel to the surfaceto be plated of the FPCB base board 200. A width (W1) of the firstshielding plate 121 is equal to or larger than a width (S1) of the firstconveyance region 210, i.e., W1≧S1. The width of the first shieldingplate 121 is in a range from about 5 millimeters to about 20millimeters. In the present embodiment, the width of the first shieldingplate 121 is about 5 millimeters.

Similarly, the second shielding plate 122 is positioned spatiallycorresponding to the adjacent second and third conveyance region 220 and230 and is arranged parallel to the surface to be plated of the FPCBbase board 200. A width (W2) of the second shielding plate 122 is equalto or larger than a sum of a width (S2) of the second conveyance region220 and a width (S3) of the third conveyance region 230, i.e.,W2≧(S2+S3). The width of the second shielding plate 122 is in a rangefrom 10 millimeters to 40 millimeters. In the present embodiment, thewidth of the second shielding plate 122 is about 10 millimeters.

Similarly, the second shielding plate 122 is positioned spatiallycorresponding to the adjacent second and third conveyance regions 220and 230 and is arranged parallel to the surface to be plated of the FPCBbase board 200. A width (W2) of the second shielding plate 122 is equalto or larger than a sum of a width (S2) of the second conveyance region220 and a width (S3) of the third conveyance region 230, i.e.,W2>(S2+S3). The width of the second shielding plate 122 is in a rangefrom 10 millimeters to 40 millimeters. In the present embodiment, thewidth of the second shielding plate 122 is about 10 millimeters.

In order to save room, a sum of the width of the first, second and thirdshielding plates 121, 122 and 123 is not larger than (i.e., equal to orless than) the width of FPCB base board 200.

In the electro-plating process, the FPCB base board 200 is arrangedinside the tank 111 of the plating bath 110 along a lengthwise directionof the tank 111. The shielding apparatus 120 can be located inside oroutside the tank 111 of the plating bath 110. In the present embodiment,two holding components 113 are separately arranged on two opposite innerwalls of the tank 111 for fixing the supporting pole 124. Each of thetwo holding components 113 defines a groove 114 for receiving the edgeof the supporting pole 124. Thus, the two holding components 113cooperate to support the shielding apparatus 120 by engaging thesupporting pole 124. The holding components 113 are made of aninsulation material such as PI, PVC, or PP.

Referring to FIG. 4, a plating apparatus 300 for electro-plating adouble-sided FPCB base board 400, in accordance with a secondembodiment, is shown. The double-sided FPCB base board 400 includes twoopposite first conveyance regions 410, two opposite second conveyanceregions 420, two opposite third conveyance regions 430, and two oppositefourth conveyance regions 440. On each plated surface of thedouble-sided FPCB base board 400, the first and second conveyanceregions 410 and 420 cooperate to define a region of one FPCB unit alonga width of the FPCB base board 400. In addition, the third and fourthconveyance regions 430 and 440 cooperate to define another region of oneFPCB unit along a width of the FPCB base board 400.

The distance between the shielding plate and the correspondingconveyance region can be determined according to the acceptablethickness of the plating metal to be wasted. Therefore, in the platingapparatus 100, the shielding plates are arranged opposite to theircorresponding conveyance regions of the FPCB base board 200 to beplated, thus, the thickness of the plating metal (e.g., gold) formed onthe conveyance regions can be limited due to the limited distancebetween the shielding plates and their corresponding conveyance regions.For example, the distance between the first conveyance region 210 andthe first shielding plate 121 is limited in a range from about 5millimeters to about 20 millimeters, thus, the thickness of the platingmetal formed on the first conveyance 210 is limited in a range fromabout 5 millimeters to about 20 millimeters. The plating metal with suchthickness formed on the conveyance region is acceptable, that is, aquantity of the plating metal with such thickness is in an allowablerange. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a quantity of the wasteplating metal is limited by controlling the distance between theshielding apparatus 120 and the surface of the FPCB base board 200.

Referring to FIG. 4, a plating apparatus 300 for electro-platingdouble-sided FPCB base board 400, in accordance with a secondembodiment, is shown. The double-sided FPCB base board 400 includes twoopposite first conveyance regions 410, two opposite second conveyanceregions 420, two opposite third conveyance regions 430, and two oppositefourth conveyance regions 440. The first and second conveyance regions410 and 420 cooperate to define a region of one FPCB unit along a widthof the FPCB base board 400. In addition, the third and fourth conveyanceregions 430 and 440 cooperate to define another region of one FPCB unitalong a width of the FPCB base board 400.

The plating apparatus 300 includes a plating bath 310, a first shieldingapparatus 320 above the board 400, and a second shielding apparatus 330below the board 400. The plating bath 310 is similar to the plating bath110 of the first embodiment. Structure and material of the first andsecond shielding apparatuses 320 and 330 are similar with those of theshielding apparatus 120 of the first embodiment. The first shieldingapparatus 320 includes a first shielding plate 321, a second shieldingplate 322, a third shielding plate 323, and a first supporting pole 324connecting the above three shielding plates 321, 322, 323. The secondshielding apparatus 330 includes a fourth shielding plate 331, a fifthshielding plate 332, a sixth shielding plate 333, and a secondsupporting pole 334 connecting the above three shielding plates 331,332, 333.

The first shielding apparatus 320 and the second shielding apparatus 330are separately arranged on two sides of the FPCB base board 400, andeach of the six shielding plates 321, 322, 323, 331, 332, 333 isparallel to the two surfaces to be plated of the FPCB base board 400. Adistance between each of the six shielding plates 321, 322, 323, 331,332, 333 and the corresponding surface to be plated of the FPCB baseboard 400 is in a range from about 5 millimeters to about 25millimeters.

With respect to the first shielding apparatus 320 and the secondshielding apparatus 330, a width of the first shielding plate 321 isequal to that of the fourth shielding plate 331, and the width is in arange from about 5 millimeters to about 25 millimeters. A width of thesecond shielding plate 322 is equal to that of the fifth shielding plate332, and the width is in a range from about 10 millimeters to about 40millimeters. A width of the third shielding plate 323 is equal to thatof the sixth shielding plate 333, and the width is in a range from about5 millimeters to about 20 millimeters. In the present embodiment, thewidth of the first and fourth shielding plates 321, 331 is 5millimeters, the width of the second and fifth shielding plates 322, 332is 10 millimeters, and the width of the third and sixth shielding plates323, 333 is 5 millimeters.

The first supporting pole 324 and the second supporting pole 334 canhave a similar or dissimilar configuration with each other. The firstshielding apparatus 320 and the second shielding apparatus 330 are fixedin the plating bath 310 similar to the shielding apparatus 120 of thefirst embodiment. In addition, the first shielding apparatus 320 and thesecond shielding apparatus 330 can be connected with each other using amechanical means such as nuts and bolts or with adhesive.

Referring to FIG. 5, a plating apparatus 500 for electro-plating asingle-sided FPCB base board 600, in accordance with a third embodiment,is shown. The single-sided FPCB base board 600 defines a FPCB unit alonga width. The single-sided FPCB base board 600 includes a firstconveyance region 610 and a second conveyance region 620 that arerespectively adjacent to two opposite sides of the board 600, and thetwo conveyance regions 610, 620 cooperate to define a region of one FPCBunit along the width of the FPCB base board 600. The plating apparatus500 has a similar structure to the plating apparatus 100 except for theshielding apparatus 520. The shielding apparatus 520 includes a firstshielding plate 521, a second shielding plate 522, and a supporting pole523 connecting the first and second shielding plates 521, 522. Theshielding apparatus 520 can be made of an insulation material such asPI, PVC, or PP. The supporting pole 523, the first shielding plate 521,and the second shielding plate 522 are formed and are machined into anintegrated structure, i.e., the shielding apparatus 520.

The first shielding plate 521 and the second shielding plate 522 areparallel to the surface to be plated of the FPCB base board 600. Adistance between each of the first and second shielding plates 521, 522and the surface of the FPCB base board 600 is about 5 millimeters. Thefirst shielding plate 521 corresponds to the first conveyance region610, and a width of the first shielding plate 521 is identical to orlarger than that of the first conveyance region 610. The secondshielding plate 522 corresponds to the second conveyance region 620, anda width of the second shielding plate 522 is identical with or largerthan that of the second conveyance region 620. In the presentembodiment, the width of the first and second shielding plate 521, 522is about 5 millimeters.

Structures and sizes of the shielding apparatus can be predeterminedaccording to the structures and sizes of the FPCB base board to beplated. A surface of the shielding plate adjacent to the surface of theconveyance region can have any configuration, so long as the distancebetween the shielding plate and the corresponding conveyance region isretained in an allowable range.

It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will beunderstood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent thatvarious changes may be made thereto without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its materialadvantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferredor exemplary embodiments of the disclosure.

1. A plating apparatus for plating a FPCB base board having a firstconveyance region and a second conveyance region, the plating apparatuscomprising: a plating bath comprising a tank extending along alengthwise direction of the FPCB base board; and a shielding apparatuscomprising a first shielding plate and a second shielding plate, thefirst shielding plate spatially corresponding to the first conveyanceregion, a distance between the first shielding plate and the firstconveyance region being in a range from 5 millimeters to 20 millimeters,a width of the first shielding plate being equal to or larger than awidth of the first conveyance region, the second shielding platespatially corresponding to the second conveyance region, a distancebetween the second shielding plate and the second conveyance regionbeing in a range from 5 millimeters to 20 millimeters, a width of thesecond shielding plate being equal to or larger than a width of thesecond conveyance region, the first shielding plate and the secondshielding plate being made of an insulation material.
 2. The platingapparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the FPCB base board to beprocess comprises a third conveyance region and a fourth conveyanceregion, the third conveyance region and the fourth conveyance regionlocated between the first conveyance region and the second conveyanceregion, the first and third conveyance regions cooperate to delimit aregion of one FPCB unit along a width direction of the FPCB base board,the second and fourth conveyance regions cooperate to delimit a regionof another FPCB unit along a width direction of the FPCB base board, theshielding apparatus further comprises a third shielding plate spatiallycorresponding to the adjacent third and fourth conveyance regions, adistance between the third shielding plate and the adjacent third andfourth conveyance regions is in a range from 5 millimeters to 20millimeters, a width of the third shielding plate is equal to or largerthan a sum of the width of the third and fourth conveyance regions, andthe third shielding plate is made of an insulation material.
 3. Theplating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the insulation materialis selected from a group consisting of polyimide, polyvinyl chloride andpolypropylene.
 4. The plating apparatus as claimed in claim 2, whereinthe insulation material is selected from a group consisting ofpolyimide, polyvinyl chloride and polypropylene.
 5. The platingapparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plating apparatus furthercomprises a supporting pole for transversely connecting the first andsecond shielding plates.
 6. The plating apparatus as claimed in claim 2,wherein the plating apparatus further comprises a supporting pole fortransversely connecting the first, second and third shielding plates. 7.The plating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first shieldingapparatus is positioned in the tank.
 8. The plating apparatus as claimedin claim 7, wherein the plating bath further comprises an anode disposedon an inner wall of the tank, and the anode extends along a lengthwisedirection of the tank.